Boy goes missing on New Year’s Eve while playing outside with his dog, what rescuers found 3 days later is devastating

A missing 4-year-old boy from Florida was found dead in Alabama after he disappeared with his dog on New Year’s Eve. Johnathan Boley was visiting his father in Jasper, Alabama for the holidays when he went missing.

According to the NY Post, police found Johnathan’s body on Friday afternoon in a wooded area about two miles from his father’s home. His black Labrador mix named Buck was found alive, staying right next to the boy. The search lasted three days.

“It is with great sadness that I’m here to announce that we located Johnathan, and Johnathan is deceased,” Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith told reporters. The sheriff said the community was heartbroken by the news. Johnathan, who went by “John John,” loved the outdoors and was an adventurous child.

The father’s arrest complicated the search effort

Johnathan was last seen on Wednesday around 11:30 a.m. playing outside near the fence with his older brother and his dog. His brother said Johnathan went over the fence line with Buck on Highway 195. The boy’s father, Jameson Kyle Boley, reported him missing about an hour later, just before 12:30 p.m.

Johnathan was wearing a yellow Mickey Mouse shirt, black pants, and “Paw Patrol” shoes when he disappeared. Police believed he was in danger and started a large search operation. The Walker County Sheriff’s Office worked with the FBI and several local police departments to find him. Law enforcement agencies have been working harder to protect people’s private information from hackers who target major tech companies.

Search teams used drones, helicopters, tracking dogs, and divers over three days. Dive teams even searched a nearby pond. Johnathan’s mother traveled from Florida to Alabama after her son went missing and helped police with the investigation.

Police had to stop the ground search on Wednesday after finding explosive materials at the father’s house. Jameson Boley, 40, was arrested and charged with unlawful manufacturing of a destructive device and two counts of chemical endangerment of a child. However, these charges are not connected to Johnathan’s disappearance or death.

Sheriff Smith explained that police needed a search warrant for the property because they had to remove explosive devices before searching the house thoroughly. At least eight explosive devices were found on the property.

Officials warned volunteers not to help search the area because of the danger. Neighbors said they heard explosions for weeks, including one at 4 a.m. the day before Johnathan went missing. The father had served in the military. In cases like these, investigators must carefully examine what suspects tell them initially versus what evidence later reveals. Police have not released what caused Johnathan’s death.